Posts by TallCool1

My friend jesse is going to college and I'm helping him set up his linux box. He hasn't gotten online yet, but I was just wondering if colleges restrict linux internet access. I'm sure there's always a way around any restrcitions they have ;) but I was just wondering if anyone has bad experiences with linux and college internet.

Policies vary widely. If a network allows Macs, Linux should be OK, but if they are going for a uniform architecture--like a specific model of laptop issued to students, for example--it might get a bit trickier. Even anonymously asking the system administrators about policies might be a good idea. I can ask my sysadmin friends at the U of Mich what their policies are...

Everytime I connect to the Internet I get searchcentral.cc as my start page, and Ive tried to change it, but when I reboot it comes back... I'm not sure what to fix, so if you could tell me it would be great..

MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 (6.00.2600.0000)
First problem: IE patches are needed. You are way behind.

C:\ARCHIV~1\WINZIP\winzip32.exe
Versions of WinZip prior to v9.0 are security risks. See this link.

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://searchcentral.cc/search.php?v=4&aff=4384
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://searchcentral.cc/index.php?v=4&aff=4384
O4 - HKLM\..\RunOnce: [tlc] C:\WINDOWS\update12.js
These are your main problem. The Java applet is what keeps reinstalling the searches. Delete the .js file on the next boot after removal.

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Openwares LiveUpdate] C:\Program Files\LiveUpdate\LiveUpdate.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Archivos de programa\Java\j2re1.4.2_03\bin\jusched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Archivos de programa\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Archivos de programa\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
These are resource wasters and excess baggage and can be safely removed.

I just installed my new motherboard and got it to boot everything up. There is just one little problem.:evil: Every time it gets to the windows bootup screen, the entire computer resets. It doesn't matter if I put it on safe mode or regular boot. And I am currently running that hard drive on another tower so I know that is not the problem. Please help!!:sad:

Once we know what version of Windows you are running and what the brand and model of the motherboard are, we might be able to help. It sounds like a problem with the BIOS settings.

Can anyone tell me if Netzero or Juno hi speed is any good for their $14.95 monthly access?

They cheat big-time to get those faster speeds, including cacheing graphics and converting them to lower resolution, as just one example -- and downloads are no faster. I would either stick with a cheaper ISP ($10 a month or less) or go with DSL or cable as a real faster alternative.

Hi,all,
I'm running windows me with a bt broadband connection.
All of a sudden,if I go to control panel_>internet options,there is no list of my connections anymore,old or new,it won't let me add any,I can't click on settings and add a browser,nothing.

IT could be malware related. Are you running a virus checker? A firewall of any kind? When was the last time you scanned for spyware?

Check my malware article linked below in my sig, and run HijackThis per the instructions. Post the results here; we'll analyze them.

After reading these posts, it sounded like someone here could help me. If so, I would be very appreciative. I have an IBM X20 laptop and the display has gone dark. I took it to a laptop repair specialist in my area who says that the inverter board is fine, and that the lamp (bulb) is the problem. The bulb needs to be replaced, but he says he can't unseal the display to do it and therefore I have to buy a new screen.

Laptop LCD assemblies are, usually and unfortunately, sealed units. They are built in layers, and the lamp is the back layer. When the unit was manufactured, likely on an automated line, a jig was set up specifically for that display. Manual disassembly is the easy part--it's the getting-back-together part that's impossible without an exact assembly jig.

Peeling the layers off an onion is not a reversible process, more's the pity in this case.

My father's girlfriend wanted to add a PCI modem to her computer. After installing the card, the monitor will not work ... Now the computer will boot up but the monitor stays black with the flashing green light. I've tried replacing the video card with no luck.

It's possible that the modem is defective or that the motherboard was damaged by it or the installation. Has it been tried with the modem out? Which slot was it put into?

Since you have tried 2 different cards, seating the card properly is out as a likely cure--but make sure the card is straight in the socket. A video card is under a lot of mechanical stress, having a heavy video cable screwed to it. Some AGP sockets now have latches to secure the board. Does yours?

PCI or AGP video? You never really say. It may help to know.

OK, so what is a valid username/password for the PPPoE configuration page? I bought my router off eBay; what in the world would a username/password be?

It depends on the brand and model; it also depends on whether the device's firmware has been updated or not. You can usually download a user manual from the router manufacturer's web site, as well.

I have discovered that I have the [email="sobigf@mm"]sobigf@mm[/email] virus on my home xp. I have run symantic and microtrend virus removal tools. One says that I have the virus and couldn't remove it, the other says that It did not locate the virus on my computer. However, my computer is running slower and slower every time i use it.

Here is the link to the information on this virus, and here is the link to the removal tool for it (is that the tool thay you ran?).

You may also have other malware on your system--that kind of crap seems to travel in packs. See my "article and links" in my sig for more information. You should run HijackThis per the explicit instructions given and post the results here.

any help with what to fix would be great.

You have a couple of things here that may be causing you trouble. Whether you want to get rid of them or not depends upon how you use your machine.

C:\WINDOWS\System32\WISPTIS.EXE
A lot of people are having problems with this. Note the removal instructions later in the thread.

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] C:\WINDOWS\UpdReg.EXE
Worthless Creative Labs registration-reminder service.

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CoolSwitch] C:\WINDOWS\System32\taskswitch.exe
Older versions of this quick task-switcher app have been known to cause system slowdowns.

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
Useless QuickTime startup service.

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
Some people don't like this one much, either.

For some reason, I can't keep my windows/folders to maintain their size and settings. I know where to set it up - My Computer/ View/ Folder Size - etc. But when I do that, they go back in a short while to small windows, folders.

This is one of the symptoms of the problem I discuss--and fix--in this article.

I had the 16 V setting right... but when it came to my Polarity setting... there was the setting on the AC Adapter i could go by, or what was right above my power input to the laptop... Only thing was, is there was no indication of how it was sopose to be. - to + or + to -. depending on how you look at it.. Well in both a haste of wanting to test it and having to guess via the laptop .... I plug the thing in with reversed polarity..... !POP! *i unplug it within 1 second* and it begins to lightly smoke.... i almost crapped myself thinking that i just ruined my laptop.. But it turns out, i turned it on via battery power..... everything seemed to work perfect.... i plug it into the wall with my AC adapter, and it worked perfect....

Most IBM laptops, like most modern laptops, have polarity protection. This consists of a diode across the DC input. Where the power goes in, there's a picofuse, a very small fuse that looks like a liitle green resistor. Downstream from that is the diode. Normally, the diode is reverse-biased, an open circuit. In the event of a polarity reversal, the diode becomes forward-biased, an electrical short. This draws sufficient current to blow the fuse, protecting the rest of the circuit.

What you now have is a blown fuse and, possibly, a shorted diode--thought it's possible that the diode survived, just got hot--hence …

-My explorer keeps adding porn sites to my favorites and hijacking my homepage while keeping my explorer window open or closed.

-I ran these spyware removal programs: X-Cleaner, clean out my IE options, ran CWShredder v1.47, ran Adware 6.0 and then SpybotS&D 1.2.

Your Ad-aware and CWShredder are both out-of-date. They are up to 6.18 and 1.50, respectively. I don't think that's the problem, though.

That having been said, there are no nasty processes running, it's all in the Registry. Delete the following keys:

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,SearchURL = about:blank

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch = http://66.250.170.70/search.htm

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://66.250.170.70/search.htm

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer,SearchAssistant = ,

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer,CustomizeSearch = ,

O1 - Hosts: 66.250.170.70 verisign.com
*** This is likely where your redirection is coming from. ***

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - (no file)

O3 - Toolbar: (no name) - {B2847E28-5D7D-4DEB-8B67-05D28BCF79F5} - (no file)

These two are optional, but highly recommended:

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "f:\quicktime\qttask.exe" -atboottime

O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE

One last question, though: Why do you have both Intel and SiS utilities installed on your system? They are mutually exclusive. They probably don't conflict, but one or the other is redundant. Post your exact HP model number, we'll figure out what you have and get rid of what you don't need.

Okay, I fixed those 3 things. Here is the new hijackthis log. Am I good to go?

Yes. I would update Adobe Reader to the newest 6.01 version, though -- and I'm not sure why there are two instances of C:\PROGRA~1\VCOM\Fix-It\mxtask.exe running... but it doesn't seem to be a serious problem, just a configuration error on HP's part.

I have windows XP. I have 4 profiles on the system if I set up the spybot and blaster apps on one profile does it cross over to all profiles or do I need to run the application under all profiles.

It applies system-wide, as does the malware. It should be all taken care of now.

I did not find anything on the IBM support site for the Thinkpad 390E.

Try some of the other numbers you find on the unit. Like HP, IBM uses "part" numbers and "model" numbers that have no relation one to another. IBM is very good about service manuals these days. Most can be found on their site in PDF format--if you know what to look for.

Hey,

I'm having a problem on startup of Windows XP Home Edition and on Shutdown (as well as a few other random instances). I get a popup window with with an error regarding "OPXPApp.exe".

Are you running the Softex OmniPass biometric application? That's the only reference that I have been able to find. It may have been damaged by the malware. If not, it may be another nasty, masquerading.

No it happened after my cable modem crashed & made my pc come to a halt so i had to press the reset button to reboot the pc & windows xp auto started some consistency check thing & started to fix some files for some odd reason, then it re-booted & xp started up & thats when it happened, infact the error came up on another installed program aswell but i just re-installed it & it was ok, & its happening when i click on add/remove windows components & also when i insert the XP cd & i click on Install Optional WIndows Components. Any solution would be appreciated, i really dont want to re-install XP. There is no info in event viewer.

Have you checked for viruses, spyware, or Trojans? This error seems a little suspect to me. One attack vector is to block a user from uninstalling what might be a virus or Trojan.

Which firewall are you running? Which anti-virus? Which adware/spyware scanner? Are they up-to-date? If you run Outlook or Outlook Express, have you looked in your sent-mail folder lately?

Hi, I have windows 98se on a 1996 computer and when the desk top comes up after starting my computer, i get a small box on the desktop with Error-(Runtime error 21b at 00002DE4):sad: . So far I have seen no problem, but a problem has to be there somewhere. Please help me find what it is. Thank you, farnand

What anti-virus software are you running? Is it up-to-date? Have you run an adware/spyware check lately? It's entirely possible that some sort of malware has latched on to your system.

Another possibility is something I call Win98 corruption. My article is here.

Hi I need help as well. Hijackthis has detected these... I don't seem to find the part that explains why www.lookfor.cc appears...

Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 09:02:22, on 25.03.2004
Platform: Windows XP (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 (6.00.2600.0000)

Your system is seriously hosed. You left yourself wide open to this, since you are way behind on your patches. You need the XP Service Pack 1 (XP-SP1) and all the security patches for Internet Explorer as soon as this is cleaned up. You may even find that a full format and reinstall are required!

Before you try to fix the following, you need to run an up-to-date virus checker and adware/spyware tool against your system. I see Trend Micro's online checker Housecall recommended here a lot. Important: this list is for information only right now, until you run some tools! The list of tools wil be at the end, along with some of the problems.

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {00000EF1-0786-4633-87C6-1AA7A44296DA} -
C:\WINDOWS\System32\calsdr.dll

O2 - BHO: . - {587DBF2D-9145-4c9e-92C2-1F953DA73773} - C:\Documents and
Settings\Christian Sugiono\Application Data\windi\windi.dll

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {7F0208C6-31B8-98CB-55E4-5072CEA2DEB4} - (no file)

O2 - BHO: ShowSearch module - {E2DDF680-9905-4dee-8C64-0A5DE7FE133C} -
C:\Documents and Settings\Christian Sugiono\Application
Data\windi\mssearch.dll

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {FD9BC004-8331-4457-B830-4759FF704C22} -
C:\Documents and Settings\Christian Sugiono\Application Data\windi\msiesh.dll

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nsvdr] c:\program files\dialers\nsvdr\nsvdr.exe /noconnect

O4 …

What would be the equivalent of msconfig in windows 2k? Somebody told me once, but I can't remember.

There is no direct "official" MSconfig substitute in Win 2k. You can either copy it over from Win 98 (I'm told it works OK) or download something like CodeStuff Starter, which handles the functions that you are looking for.

Can someone please help me. Its a few days that I have noticed that explorer does not appear in my task program list. Before when the computer use to hang I use to do ctl alt del and click on explorer and the explorer would restart. Now when I do ctl alt del explorer is not on the list. Other than that everything works fine. Any ideas how to get explorer back in there. I tried to reinstal internet explorer 6 but nothing. I have windows 98. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Explorer has to be running, or you couldn't even bring up the Task Manager! You need to copy down what you see in the Task Manager window and post it here. We can help from there.

Hey, I was wondering how you block a web site, because i need to block aim.com so my sister cant d/l AIM cuz her grades are doing bad.. or something like that i dunno all my dad said was block it lol. also is there a way to password a program so it cant be used without a password thats what im really looking for. finally, is there a way to go through the hard drive or norton systems (not log manager) to see what people typed in an email or aim or something. just curious cuz my dad said he could do that but wouldn't tell me how.

Rename and hide the executable, then create a password-protected batch file to run it. Or enter a fake, non-valid proxy into the AIM client so it never connects. AIM can be set to log all chats to a file, as well.

On DSL you need to dial up before your connected to the Internet unlike cable, that sometimes is very annoying, after a while it's just a pain in the ass when you want to surf but, you need to dial up every time you want to connect to the Internet (waste of time). Cable on the other hand is always connected to the Internet.

Not true! On my Linux box, I am connected via DSL even when I am in console mode -- from the time the machine boots up. Windows XP can be easily set the same way, and Windows 98 can be done nearly as easily.

Just wait until broadband is offered across the power lines...then a user won't have to pay 100 bucks for digital cable AND an internet connection. The price will be driven down (hopefully, fingers crossed).

This is absolutely the worst possible thing that could happen! The interference that this would create with all types of over-the-air reception would be devastating. See this Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) web page with video links for the facts that nobody seems to be willing to talk about...

That having been said, in our area Comcast is about 3 Mbps, my SBC aDSL is about 1.5 Mbps (I'm not sure about WOW)-- but the load variance is noticeably higher on cable, due to shared bandwidth.

I installed a Serial ATA Card, the pc see the card, but WIndows 2000 explorer doesn't. How do I format the 2 Serial Ata hard drives?

When naming a thread, please try to use a name that's more descriptive. I see what happened, but please be more careful next time.

I agree that it's a driver issue. A CD came with the card. Until you install the drivers, Win 2k will have no idea what to do with it.

Is there a way of identifying which processes relate to which applications? As I mentioned, I lost Norton...not sure what i disabled that made Norton not want to load. I'm at work right now, but tonight I will take screen shots. Thnx for your help

Just do like everyone else does--download and run HijackThis (see my Malware article link below) and post the results.

There are also several sites that have startup lists--for example (from my malware links). These will also help identify what's running.

What's your experience with them? Do you like them or hate them?
I had the first model they put out for the athlons years back. Didn't work too well. All three ram slots worked, but only one at a time. It wouldn't let me use more than 1 stick at a time. But hearing such good things about their boards, I bought another. A dual athlon board. (GA-7DPXDW) The two raid channels have given me problems from the start. Occationally, a bios checksum error pops up. I'll say that this is the last time I buy their boards. How could they get such high reviews all the time? Any good experiences anyone?

I haven't had problems with mine, nor the others that I have seen. The fact that I won mine in an AMD contest doesn't affect my judgement here; anything that's mass-produced is going to exhibit the occasional sample failure (electronic-technician-speak).

Have you tried Googling your problems? A BIOS update? What have you done to try to solve your problems?

when i enter

"modprobe slamr"

this is my modem driver, it tells me its tainted adn i should visit tux.org/something for more info and it said it was loaded with warnings.

If i start playing music it will go into a complete freeze
I mean a COMPLETE freeze mouse is frozen and everything
it works just fine in windows.

and when i hit control - c and start playing music....
IT WORKS!
when I play music before connecting it wont freeze until i switch songs it freezes when ANY kind of audio is played...CD,MP3, and even sound server

I agree with the others here--get yourself a cheap sound card. The cheapest I would go is a SoundBlaster Live! OEM, at about $30 US. It's well-supported(!) under Linux and decent.

Until that time, go into your BIOS setup screen, find the item Plug and Play aware OS (or something like that-- it may vary) and set it to NO (default is usually YES). It doesn't matter for Windows and it interferes with Linux. This may well clear things up for you.

Thanks, worked like a charm to run fdisk. Still trying to install windows. Using boot disk and trying to run with CDRom support could not find CD drive. Unplugged HDD and ran again...got CDRom support. Plugged in HDD and ran again...no CDRom support. Could it be a master/slave setting issue on each drive. I know HDD should be master. what should CD be? Slave?

Yes, it could be a conflict--and if on the same IDE channel, slave is best. Also possible (though unusual) is that the cable is set up for cable select, in which case it can confuse the system. A cable-select cable assembly has a gap in one lead betweeen the first and second device connectors (just covering all bases).

Even better is having the CD drive on the secondary IDE channel, separate from the hard drive. While it's true that you can now have two different-speed devices on the same IDE channel without direct conflict, it's still a good idea to separate the two for best results.

Who needs 'net for docs?

And while we are on the subject, if you run KDE, simply type man: or info: into the Konqueror address bar, followed by whatever, to access those files. You can search from there, as well.

Another good Linux portal is http://www.YoLinux.com

I have been hijacked!! Ihave run Adaware, hijack this, coolweb shreader, but everytime I reboot the same thing returns. Nothing seems to get rid of it. The result of the Hijack this scan is below. Does anyone know how to remove it I am not very computer literate so please make it easy!!

You have a dialer and a hijacker, as well as some useless resource-wasters. Get rid of the following:

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://prosearching.com/passthrough/index.html?http://www.google.com/

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://prosearching.com/searchbar.html

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = C:\WINDOWS\secure.html

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://prosearching.com/searchbar.html

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://prosearching.com/searchbar.html

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = C:\WINDOWS\secure.html

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://prosearching.com/searchbar.html

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = C:\WINDOWS\secure.html

R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - - (no file)

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TaskMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\taskmon.exe
Part of a so-called "disk optimizer", but no longer needed.

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SiS KHooker] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\khooker.exe
Not a virus, but known as a source of problems.

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Dial32] C:\WINDOWS\dl.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Dial33] C:\WINDOWS\dlm.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [does safe] C:\PROGRA~1\Browse store\Vc curb close.exe
Remove this one last, but it sure doesn't smell right! No Google hits. Does anyone know what this is?

O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [Machine Debug Manager] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MDM.EXE
Unneeded sevice, resource waster.

Once that's …

Hi there, I've been having a problem that when I load the task manager it flashes up and then shuts down. I also can't run regedit, renamed it from exe to com and I now can. Based on what I've found there's a virus messing things up.

You are correct. Remove the following (some are merely resource drains, but absolutely unecessary):

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {0096CC0A-623C-4829-AD9C-19AF0DC9D8FE} - C:\Program Files\DAP\DAPIEBar.dll

O3 - Toolbar: DAP Bar - {62999427-33FC-4baf-9C9C-BCE6BD127F08} - C:\Program Files\DAP\DAPIEBar.dll

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Configuration Loader] msgfix.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [Configuration Loader] msgfix.exe

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Configuration Loader] msgfix.exe

O4 - Startup: Microsoft Find Fast.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\FINDFAST.EXE

O4 - Startup: Office Startup.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA.EXE

O8 - Extra context menu item: &Download with &DAP - C:\PROGRA~1\DAP\dapextie.htm

O9 - Extra button: Run DAP (HKLM)

O16 - DPF: {56336BCB-3D8A-11D6-A00B-0050DA18DE71} (RdxIE Class) - http://207.188.7.150/29b4df709602da330106/netzip/RdxIE601.cab

thx for your help guys here his his new hjt log i know there are a few things still on there that need fixing but it seems a lot better.

You are correct, you are almost there -- to the point where most of these are merely resource-wasters (except ISTSvc):

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.123found.com

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by Freeserve

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\QTTASK.EXE" -atboottime

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IST Service] C:\Program Files\ISTsvc\istsvc.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [Machine Debug Manager] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MDM.EXE

Those should do it.

This is my result from Hijack This.
Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 12:34:31 PM, on 3/23/04
Platform: Windows 98 Gold (Win9x 4.10.1998)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Remove the following (most are spyware, some are simply unecessary and annoying):

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page =http://www.anything-internet.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = about:blank
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = about:blank
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by America Online
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,SearchAssistant = about:blank
R3 - Default URLSearchHook is missing
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {EBCDDA60-2A68-11D3-8A43-0060083CFB9C} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\NZDD.DLL
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {4E7BD74F-2B8D-469E-C0FF-FD75B9D5FA7D} - C:\WINDOWS\DOWNLO~1\MYBAR.DLL
O3 - Toolbar: PopupPD.com - {4E7BD74F-2B8D-469E-C0FF-FD75B9D5FA7D} - C:\WINDOWS\DOWNLO~1\MYBAR.DLL
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TaskMonitor] c:\windows\taskmon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadQM] loadqm.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RealTray] C:\PROGRAM FILES\REAL\PLAYER\REALPLAY.EXE SYSTEMBOOTHIDEPLAYER
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\QTTASK.EXE" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WebInstall2] C:\PROGRAM FILES\CLIPGENIE\WEBINSTALL.EXE /R
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ABJ] C:\WINDOWS\ABJ.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CGJ] C:\WINDOWS\CGJ.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CGJMQ] C:\WINDOWS\CGJMQ.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [XTMSFTD] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\XTMSFTD.exe
O4 - Startup: Office Startup.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA.EXE
O4 - Startup: RealDownload.lnk = C:\Program Files\Real\RealDownload\REALDOWNLOAD.EXE
O4 - Startup: Microsoft Find Fast.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\FINDFAST.EXE
O16 - DPF: {6B4788E2-BAE8-11D2-A1B4-00400512739B} (PWMediaSendControl Class) - http://216.249.24.140/code/PWActiveXImgCtl.CAB
O16 - DPF: {56336BCB-3D8A-11D6-A00B-0050DA18DE71} (RdxIE Class) - http://207.188.7.150/28eaa6f092920bea3d23/netzip/RdxIE601.cab
O16 - DPF: {02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B} (QuickTime Object) - http://www.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab
O16 - DPF: {62475759-9E84-458E-A1AB-5D2C442ADFDE} - http://a1540.g.akamai.net/7/1540/52/20031216/qtinstall.info.apple.com/mickey/us/win/QuickTimeInstaller.exe
O16 - DPF: {4A3CF76B-EC7A-405D-A67D-8DC6B52AB35B} (QDiagAOLCCUpdateObj Class) - 
       

Yeah... I thought that problem sounded familiar!:cool:

Yeah, I was going to credit you on the quoted reply, but I ran out of time. Done now! ...and thanks for posting it in the first place.

I know it's appreciated around here when folks report back when a suggestion works out.

...for some reason i cant use IE6

It was working fine until i ran a spyware program that took off the spyware on my computer...but it seems as tho it took off something important...I ran the spyware remover and virus scanner cause i been recieving a lot of pop ups even tho i have a pop up blocker...

Well to make a long story short...my IE6 dont work...its not my internet connection

Quoting myself to another board member:

One of your likely bits of malware replaced part of your Winsock chain with its own stuff. When you removed it, you "broke the chain". Here is the link to LSPFix, (<- clickable link) which should help.

The user replied with:

It worked! And here's the process order...

* Run LSPfix.
* Delete all Dial-up adapters and network protcols.
* Delete all Winsock and Winsock2 registry folders.
* Under Add/Remove programs uncheck all of the listings under Communications.
* Reboot and then add back ALL the Communications items (although netmeeting and chat weren't necessary). It didn't work for me the first time as I have no need for a dial-up adapter, but it is the only way to get Windows to add back winsock2.
* Reinstall network protocol settings.

Hi, I am running ME and everytime I try to start IE I get an MSIESH.DLL error and I can't start the program. Do I have a virus?

Yes, probably CoolWebSearch or one of its variants. You can get more information and a download link for CWShredder from http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

I would run CWShredder first in this case, but you should also read my Malware article, linked below. At some point, download and run HijackThis. Note: read the instructions on the linked page very carefully (the main download link is broken -- use one of the mirrors). Do not actually remove anything from your startup or Registry until you have posted the log that it generates and are given explicit instructions on what to remove.

I completely removed McAfee VirusScan from my computer, and I still get the Backtrack Monitor message. What else can be causing this problem?

VirusScan was never the problem, we knew that days ago, Backtrack's not part of it. Why don't you share your process list so we can see what's running?

I uninstalled/reinstalled McAfee VirusScan. That didn't solve the problem. I still get the same message when I shutdown.

Well, something has to be running -- error messages like this don't appear out of nowhere! Keep looking.

Thanks, but keep in mind I'm new at this. So how do I install a new os if I'm locked out the the computer. All I keep getting is a message about contacting administrator, not having administrator rights, or in the administrator group.

There are a number of ways to get around this. One is to boot fropm a live Linux CD like Knoppix. There are boot floppies that do the same thing. Can't remember where I saw them; I'll look and report back.

Also remember: "Google is your friend."

I have Win Me and very often get a message that states there is an "error running scripts on this page-do you wish to continue?" I sometimes get this 3-4 times on the same page! What could be the problem?
I also cannot run a disk defrag-It'll start, get to 1% complete, then go back to 0%-it just will not complete. I've tried running scan disk first, but it will not work either-the header states it is a scan disk for Win 98, but I have ME. I am pretty computer ignorant, so any help would be appreciated....I just want my computer to run faster!!!:!:

First, make sure that you have the current version of Internet Explorer, 6.0.2800.1106 with all patches. If you are on dial-up, you can get IE6 off any AOL 9.0 CD -- but the directory is hidden. To show it, open any folder window, go to the Tools->Folder Options->View menu item and check the Show hidden files and folders option.

I never use the default defrag under Windows anyway. I just download the free Diskeeper Lite, a slightly-crippled version of Diskeeper 7.0 (it can't be run automatically, only manually -- but who cares? It works just as well). Diskeeper is one of the best defraggers out there, it's quick and effective; I'd buy it, but I'm poor right now.

I agree that Windows Me is pretty bad -- I once described it as the bastard child of Windows 98 and Windows …

I don't understand your fix. I don't have McAfee QuickClean installed on my machine.

But you must have some piece of McAfee software installed to get that error message. Look at your Install/Remove Programs panel and look at the running processes in the Task Manager to see what it is.

Thanks for your reply, sorry for my lack of knowledge, but you mention TinyResMeter and System Tray. Can you give me step-by-step instructions on where I can access this? I do already have codestuffer... Though I did not see anything unusual listed there, I'll get a listing of that and post it here..
One more question>> is Mozilla used like Netscape or Internet Explorer?

OK, let's back up a step. In my original message, the highlighted words in blue (for example "TinyResMeter") are all clickable hyperlinks (the word "clickable" is another one) -- in the TinyResMeter example, the download link for the program. The System Tray I made reference to is the area in the lower-right corner, next to the clock, where a group of icons are placed which represent currently-running programs that you can interact with by either double-clicking the icon (to activate in some way) or right-clicking (to bring up a menu). These programs usually include virus checkers, firewalls, and other programs that launch at startup. Once you understand those concepts, the rest should follow.

As far as Netscape vs. Mozilla, Netscape 7 is Mozilla -- an old version (1.3, I think. Current is 1.6) with AOL advertising added.

I'm not a techie person, so easy on your replies:
I have Windows 98
I connect to the internet via AOL
I use both IExplorer and Netscape
I'm getting LOW RESOURCES msg and the computer locks up (everything). The only way to temporarily repair the problem is to reboot.

I recommend a two-pronged approach, using free programs that are especially useful in this case.

Windows 98 has a built-in resource meter. Ironically, it is such a resource hog itself as to be totally useless in a case like this. Fortunately, the free TinyResMeter can be easily configured to monitor system resources. There's no need to unzip or install it; just run it. When the little "bug" icon appears in the System Tray, right click on it. Go to the Fields menu and select the following items: CPU usage, SYS, GDI, and RAM (there are other fields as well, but these are of the most interest right now). Initially, this will at least give you warning of impending doom -- when SYS and/or GDI drop below about 40%, you are in the danger zone.

Next, download and run CodeStuff Starter and/or HijackThis to find out what's running. Note: read the instructions on the linked page for HjT very carefully (the main download link is broken -- use one of the mirrors). Do not actually remove anything from your startup or Registry until you have posted the log that it …

I have Windows 98. When I shut down my computer I receive the message Backtrack Monitor
Fatal Error 8205---cannot take snapshot

Backtrack Monitor is part of the McAfee packages QuickClean and Uninstaller that seems to perform a function similar to Roxio GoBack. It would appear to be a configuration error. I have not used this utility myself. You may wish to try the configuration options or to uninstall/reinstall the program. Here's a PDF with more information.

It seems to be functioning normally... Here's my new log.

The only remaining things that I would remove:

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot

R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = NOT USED (OK)

O19 - User stylesheet: C:\WINNT\Web\oslogo.bmp (file missing)

Certified Electronic Technician (C.E.T.) -- 3 Journeyman certificates (Consumer, Industrial, & Audio) since 1976, A+ Certified.

After finding a number of spywares installed including "bridge", "webhancer", "wupdate", "keyhost", "version", "incfin~1" and "sahagent", and removing them with adware, spywarecleaner, spybot s+d, and deleting entries and .exe's/dll's using regcleaner and hijack in conjunction with a "blacklist" of programs, I no longer have internet access. I'm guessing it's because I accidentally deleted a necessary file. The Hijack scan log looks clean and no processes show running or in the way.

One of your likely bits of malware replaced part of your Winsock chain with its own stuff. When you removed it, you "broke the chain". Here is the link to LSPFix, which should help.

haha true maybe thats why. hmmmm but, what about all the tips and tricks to it?

Here's one my senior-citizen students especially like: The keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[+] increases the font size, [Ctrl]+[-] decreases the font size--and there's about 11 size-steps, in contrast to IE's 5.

I'm writing an article, Why I use Mozilla, that I will post to my site when it's done.